Should We Not be Discussing The Nobel That Sri Sri Turned Down, Instead?

After the entire controversy regarding the World Cultural Festival in March, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is back creating waves, expressing disapproval over the Nobel Peace Prize that Malala Yousafzai was awarded with.

Flash back to 2014, a seventeen year-old is given the Nobel Peace Prize. This person, Malala Yousafzai is known to the world as a revolutionary child activist literally putting all her blood, sweat and tears into the purpose of education in the Taliban-controlled area that she belongs to.

Cut to the present, a much older person – doing some noble work, yes, like in Latur currently – largely getting media attention for controversy, and having amassed over $180 million, has questioned that. Not just that, when asked whether he was interested in getting the Nobel Prize for Peace, he said this:

“I was in the past offered the Nobel Peace Prize, but I had rejected it as I only believe in working and not in being honoured for my work. We should always honour only to those who deserve it and I am totally against honouring Malala Yousafzai with the prize and it is of no use.”

Oh, in that case, Sir, what selflessness is all that money an indication of, as questionable as the past offer of the prize is?

He also questioned the importance of the prize.

“What is the importance of an award when it is being presented to a 16-year-old girl, without even looking at what she has contributed.”

Well, why are we questioning what Malala has done? Did she not take a bullet to her head, all for merely having asked for education? Is she not an absolute role model for people of all ages with all that bravery and determination? And is it not absolutely remarkable that people as young as seventeen are working to deserve the Nobel Prize?

On the other hand, if we consider the possibility that the Nobel was indeed offered to Sri Sri. What could that have been for? Clearly, the work that the Art of Living foundation does. Let’s not forget it was nurtured and influenced over him over very many years, and is indeed changing lives, just in a different way, and at a different level.

Okay, she might not be an ideal to you, good sir, so the next time, we’ll talk about why nobody in their right mind ever thought you’d deserve the Nobel Peace Prize over a certain Malala Yousafzai.

For, Malala never needed any pomp and show to do what she did, yet caused that impact that people in any country shall never forget her. Young girls in Pakistan would be grateful to her for generations to come.

Malala is all about inspiration. May she inspire Sri Sri too.

“Peace.”

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